Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a sealing system and more specifically it relates to a tube passage sealing system for allowing passage of a tube from the interior to the exterior of a case such that the case is sealed against leakage whether a tube is present or absent.
Description of the Related Art
Any discussion of the related art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such related art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
It is often desirable to store or position a fluidic device within a case. The case will prevent the fluids within the device from spilling and potentially contaminating an area or creating hazardous conditions in the case of device failure or damage. In a typical prior art case, the sealing element is a free gasket or seal which is clamped between the two case halves. In some prior art, the free gasket or seal is instead bonded to one of the case halves.
When sealing against a round tube, this one-element seal prior art configuration does not function due to the inability of the hard case section to deform enough to seal against the tube. Where two matching and opposing sealing elements are utilized to provide a channel for the tube to pass through, leakage may occur when the tube is not present between the sealing elements and thus create the risk of exposure if the fluidic device within the case becomes ruptured or otherwise compromised or ingress through the tube passage if the exterior of the case is immersed in or exposed to liquid.
Because of the inherent problems with the related art, there is a need for a new and improved tube passage sealing system for allowing passage of a tube from the interior to the exterior of a case such that the case is sealed against leakage whether a tube is present or absent.